anyway, he wouldn’t look at me after that, my teacher, not even a glance, the whole rest of the trip. and he was always real nice before, and funny to me…i mean, not in a bad way, not like inappropriately so, i don’t think, but—no, i wasn’t even a “teacher’s pet” or whatever—he was just sort ’a open with me. jokes, and showing me pictures in magazines, like, after that career thing he would hang up undersea stuff in class, and bringing in pieces ’a coral to look at…we were starting to be friends, i thought, at least sort of friendly, because it’s hard, i think, for a teacher in school, like, junior high, where nobody cares, kids just wanna do sports, and dances, hang out with their friends, you know…so, if you meet a person who is actually interested, like i was, and i really was—i wasn’t the smartest or remembered the most, like i said, but—i was genuinely interested in things, i wanted to learn, right, i felt like i needed to comprehend a little about the universe, you know? i did. ’cause it intrigues me. the way it works, yeah. (BEAT) and i think a teacher can pick up on that. and he just responded to it…so, we started to sort ’a hang out a bit.., just at school, the library, or looking at slides in the resource center, lunchtimes. (BEAT) it was good, umm…’s good, that’s all. i mean, fuck, i was thirteen, okay, it was nice to have somebody look at you and not say to pick up your socks…something like that. let’s face it, thirteen’s a pretty shitty age, right?

pause.

but he wouldn’t look over at me after that…

she stops a moment.